Discover who you are.
Develop what you can contribute.
Launch the life and work you're meant to do.
Learning Support
At Maximilian Kolbe Career School, academics are designed around how students actually learn best. Our model combines small learning communities, structured support, hands-on learning, and real-world experience to help students grow academically, socially, and professionally.
Cohort Learning
Students learn in small cohorts of 10–12 peers who take courses together and build strong relationships throughout the program. Cohorts create a supportive environment where students collaborate, build confidence, and develop communication and teamwork skills.
Learning Therapists
Each cohort works with a dedicated Learning Therapist who provides structured guidance in executive functioning, study strategies, and social communication. This built-in support helps students stay organized.
Experiential Learning
Learning extends beyond lectures. Students apply their knowledge through projects, community engagement, and real-world problem solving. These experiences help students connect academic ideas to practical challenges.
Innovation Labs
Courses connect through collaborative studio projects where students explore real-world challenges and design creative solutions. Innovation labs provide the space and technology needed for exploration.
"At MKC, students aren't just attending — they are building the community they learn in."
— Heather Hanvy, Dean of Experiential Learning & Work-Integrated Programs
Neurodiversity-Affirming Environment
Individualized Support Plans
We cultivate a space where neurodivergence is respected and celebrated. Our classrooms are designed to minimize sensory overload while providing the structure and clarity that neurodivergent students thrive on.
Every student works with a dedicated learning therapist to develop tools for executive functioning, time management, and self-advocacy. These plans are concrete, actionable, and evolve with the student's progress.
🌱 Discover Self → 🤝 Discover Community → 🌍 Discover the World → 💡 Discover Your Impact → 🧭 Discover Your Path → 🚀
The MKC Journey of Discovery
At Maximilian Kolbe Career School, your education is more than a sequence of classes—it's a journey of personal growth, discovery, and purpose.
Rather than measuring success by class standing alone, we've intentionally designed every stage of your educational experience to help you develop the knowledge, confidence, and practical skills needed to thrive in your career, and your community.
Each journey builds upon the one before it, allowing you to discover who you are, understand the world around you, and ultimately prepare to make a meaningful impact.
Journey 1 - Discover Self
Every great journey begins with understanding yourself.
During your first semester, you'll develop the foundational skills needed for success in the workplace, and everyday life. You'll strengthen your communication skills, build digital confidence, explore healthy living, and begin your experiential learning journey through Kolbe Works.
Courses
KBWX 1300 – Designing Your Life
TECH 1300 – Digital Literacy & Workplace Technology
COMM 1310 – Public Speaking
BIOL 1305 – Nutrition, Health & Wellness
KBWX 1305 – Experiential Learning I
Journey 2 - Discover Community
Once you've established a strong personal foundation, you'll begin exploring the communities and systems that shape our lives.
Students examine relationships, government, history, financial decision-making, and environmental responsibility while continuing to build practical skills that prepare them to become engaged citizens and thoughtful professionals.
Courses
PSYC 1320 – Healthy Relationships & Interpersonal Dynamics
POLI 1310 – Political Structures in America
HIST 1345 – U.S. Social History Since 1450: Capitalists, Rebels, Zombies & The Slave Machine
MATH 1315 – Quantitative Reasoning & Personal Finance
ENVT 1335 – Environmental Science & Sustainability
Journey 3 - Discover The World
Learning expands as students explore the many ways people understand, interpret, and experience the world. Through literature, science, culture, history, and continued experiential learning, students develop curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper appreciation for the diversity of human experience.
Courses
ENGL 2330 – Great Books & Big Ideas
ARTS 2310 – Culture, Identity, & Society
BIOL 2315 – Biological Systems & Health
HIST 2325 – Ancestral Appetites & Culinary Chronicles
KBWX 2300 – Experiential Learning II
Journey 4 - Discover Your Impact
By this stage, students begin asking an important question:
How can I make a difference?
Students examine ethics, justice, social change, leadership, and advocacy while developing the confidence to engage with complex issues and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
Courses
PHIL 2305 – Ethics, Power, & Moral Decision-Making
POLI 2315 – Social Change in America
SOCI 2340 – Criminology, Law, & Civil Rights
ENGL 2335 – Magic, Myth & Meaning
Journey 5 - Discover Your Path
Every student's future is unique. The final stage of the MKC experience prepares students to confidently pursue the next step in their educational or professional journey. Students strengthen practical life skills, explore creativity and innovation, and prepare for long-term personal and financial success.
Courses
NSCI 2350 – Earth, Weather, & Human Origins
ARTS 2350 – Digital Media & Game Design
MATH 2300 – Financial Health & Retirement
Complete the Journey
Completion of all five journeys results in:
Six Foundational Certificates
Students who continue at Maximilian Kolbe Career School then begin the next phase of their education through the advanced program where they move from discovering the world to developing solutions that positively impact individuals, organizations, and communities.
At MKC, every course has a purpose, every certificate builds toward something greater, and every student's journey is uniquely their own.
Because every path matters.
The MKC Journey of Development
After completing the Discover Journey, students continue developing the knowledge, leadership, and professional skills needed to create meaningful change in their communities.
Throughout the Develop Journey, students learn to analyze complex social issues, strengthen communities, lead organizations, and communicate ideas that inspire action. Each stage builds upon the previous one, preparing students to become thoughtful leaders and innovative problem-solvers.
Journey 1 - Develop Solutions
Every meaningful solution begins with understanding the problem.
Students develop the research, analytical, legal, and ethical foundations needed to examine complex social issues and create evidence-based solutions.
Courses
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STAT 3300 – Introduction to Social Statistics
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CRIM 3315 – Law, Justice, & Social Work
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HUMN 3360 – Humanitarian Issues
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Specialization Course I
Journey 2 - Develop Communities
Strong communities are built through collaboration, resilience, and service.
Students explore community development, emergency management, public health, and the systems that strengthen neighborhoods and improve quality of life.
Courses
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BUSN 4320 – Urban Planning & Community Development
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SOCI 3305 – Emergency Management & Community Resilience
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BIOL 4335 – Public Health & Community Well-Being
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Specialization Course II
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Specialization Course III
Journey 3 - Develop Organizations
Ideas become lasting change through strong leadership and sustainable organizations. Students learn how nonprofit organizations and social enterprises operate while developing the financial and leadership skills necessary to manage mission-driven organizations.
Courses
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BUSN 3335 – Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship
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SOCI 3350 – Leading Nonprofits & Social Ventures
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BUSN 4335 – Financial Management for Nonprofit Organizations
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Specialization Course IV
Journey 4 - Develop Influence
Leadership reaches its greatest impact when ideas inspire others to act.
Students strengthen their communication, advocacy, and storytelling skills while learning to educate, influence, and mobilize communities through strategic communication and media.
Courses
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COMM 3345 – Social Communication
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COMM 4310 – Documentary Filmmaking for Social Change
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SOCI 4325 – Nonviolent Movements in Historical & Contemporary Contexts
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Specialization Course V
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Specialization Course VI
Complete the Journey
Completion of the Advanced Journey results in:
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Five Advanced Certificates
Students then complete their specialization and graduate prepared to become innovative leaders, compassionate professionals, and agents of meaningful social change.
The MKC Journey - Launch
Every student's path is unique.
The Launch Journey allows students to deepen their expertise by choosing a specialization aligned with their interests, talents, and professional aspirations. These specializations provide advanced knowledge while encouraging students to apply what they have learned to real-world challenges.
Students select one of three Launch Paths.
Journey 1 - Launch Through Innovation
STEM Applications & Innovation
Students explore systems thinking, engineering design, emerging technologies, and scientific innovation while developing practical solutions to complex challenges.
Courses
STEM 3305 – The Science of Complex Systems
STEM 3310 – Finding the Signal: Data, Patterns & Hidden Meaning
STEM 3325 – Design Lab: Engineering for Real Life
STEM 4350 – Brains, Machines & Human Innovation
STEM 4300 – Applied Innovation Lab I
STEM 4310 – Applied Innovation Lab II
Journey 2 - Launch Through Understanding
Creative Humanities & Cultural Inquiry
Students examine culture, identity, creativity, psychology, philosophy, and the human experience while strengthening critical thinking and communication through the humanities.
Courses
HUMN 3305 – The Human Mind: Psychology, Identity & Consciousness
HUMN 3315 – What Makes Us Human? Culture, Ritual & Belief
HUMN 3335 – Writing the World: Creative Writing & Narrative Craft
HUMN 4345 – Life, Death & the Search for Meaning
HUMN 4300 – Applied Innovation Lab I
HUMN 4310 – Applied Innovation Lab II
Journey 3 - Launch Through Leadership
Business Management & Organizational Leadership
Students develop the financial, legal, organizational, and leadership skills needed to successfully manage businesses, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations.
Courses
BUSN 3305 – Introduction to Accounting
BUSN 3310 – Introduction to Management
BUSN 3315 – Business Law
BUSN 4305 – Human Resource Management
BUSN 4300 – Applied Innovation Lab I
BUSN 4310 – Applied Innovation Lab II
Complete the Journey
Completion of one Launch Path, together with the Advanced Journey, results in the awarding of specialized certifications. Graduates leave Maximilian Kolbe Career School prepared not only with knowledge and professional skills, but with the confidence, compassion, and practical experience to create meaningful change in their careers and communities.
Discover. Develop. Launch.
Because every path matters.
